Container having collapsible side walls



Sept. 22, 1970 R. o; WALKER E-TAL 3,529,741

CONTAINER HAVING COLLAPSIBLE SIDE WALLS Filed Nov. 18, 1968 Y 8Sheets-Sheet 1 I F|GL4 n T* f ROV- D/A O/V W ll/(7? 2 JOHN HERO/V WWW MW Sept. 22, 1970 R. D. WALKER ETAL 3,529,741

CONTAINER HAVING COLLAPSIBLE SIDE WALLS a Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 18,1968 Sept. 22, 1970 R. D. WALKER ETAL CONTAINER HAVING COLLAPSIBLE SIDEWALLS 8 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Nov. 18, 1968 a She e ts-Sheet 4 FIGS . R.D.- WALKER ETAL CONTAINER HAVING COLLAPSIBLE SIDE WALLS FIGS Sept. 22,1970 Filed Nov. 18, 1968 ll'll.

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CONTAINER HAVING COLLAPSIBLE SIDE WALLS Filed Nov. 18, 1968 v 8Sheets-Sheet 8 F|G.I7c 078 70 57 C 7/ Z @9 H/A/VENTOPS' W, M M

United States Patent 3,529,741 CONTAINER HAVING COLLAPSIBLE SIDE WALLSRoy Dixon Walker and John Tabron, Barrow-in-Furness,

England, assignors to Vickers Limited, London, England, a Britishcompany Filed Nov. 18, 1968, Ser. No. 776,545 Claims priority,application Great Britain, Nov. 17, 1967, 52,531/ 67 Int. Cl. B65d 7/28,7/32 US. Cl. 220--7 15 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A goodscontainer suitable for carrying timber has longer sides connected to abase for pivoting inwardly towards, and outwardly away from, the base tocollapse and erect the container. Its shorter sides are connected to oneof its longer sides for pivoting inwardly about vertical axes topositions against the inside of that longer side. In corner posts of thebase are twist-locks operable to lock the longer sides erect, and alsooperable to lock the collapsed container to an identical collapsedcontainer placed thereon, so that the two containers form a unitliftable by lifting the upper of the two.

According to the present invention there is provided a goods containerwhich has side portions thereof connected to base portions thereof so asto be pivotable inwardly towards, and outwardly away from, said baseportions, whereby said container can be collapsed and erectedalternately, the plan outline of said container when erected being ofsubstantially the same size as its plan outline when collapsed, and saidbase portions having substantially permanently mounted thereon latchingmeans whereby, with the container and an identical container bothcollapsed and placed one upon the other, the two containers can belocked together to form a unit liftable by lifting the upper of the twocollapsed containers.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readilycarried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, tothe accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic end elevation of an opentopped goods containersuitable for carrying timber, the container being in an erectedcondition,

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but of the container in a collapsedcondition,

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic side elevation thereof,

FIG. 4 is a section taken on the line IV--IV in FIG. 3,

FIG. 5 shows a fragmentary vertical section through a corner post of thecontainer,

FIG. 6 shows a fragmentary vertical section through the corner post, butat right-angles to the section plane of FIG. 5,

FIG. 7 shows a fragmentary side elevation of the corner post,

FIG. 8 shows a section taken on the lines VIII-VIII of FIGS. 5 and 6,

FIG. 9 shows a section taken on the lines IX-1X of FIGS. 5 and 6,

FIG. 10 shows a section taken on the lines X-X of FIGS. 5 and 6,

FIG. 11 shows a vertical section through a modification of thecontainer,

FIG. 12 shows a side elevation of this modification,

FIG. 13 shows a vertical section through another modification of thecontainer,

FIG. 14 shows a side elevation of this other modification,

ice

FIG. 15 shows a vertical section through part of a further modificationof the container,

FIG. 16 shows a vertical section through another part of this furthermodification, and

FIG. 17 is a sectional side elevation showing a hand lever of this otherpart in a different position.

Referring to the drawings, the container includes a base frame 1 whichhas eight corner castings 2, two at each corner of its oblongrectangular shape. At each corner there is a short pillar 3 integralwith and rigidly interconnecting the two castings 2 at the corner. Thefour bottom corner castings 2 are interconnected by rectangular sectiontubing 4 of the frame 1.

Each narrower side of the container has its lowest quarter in the formof a transom 5 of box section tubing with wire mesh filling. Eachtransom 5 is hinged at its top edge by hinges 6 to the bottom edge ofthe remaining threequarters 7 of the narrower side. Each part 7 isitself hinged to one of the wider sides 8 of the container by hinges 9,and consists of a rectangular box frame 7 with Wire mesh filling. At theopposite edge of each part 7 to the hinges 9 are locating pinarrangements 10 consisting of lugs 11 fixed to the adjacent side 8, lugs13 fixed to the part 7, and pins 12 inserted into the lugs 11 and 13.

Each side 8 consists of two corner castings 2 at the ends of its topedge, and rectangular box section framework with wire mesh filling. Enduprights 14 of each side 8 bear on the upper four castings 2 and arepivotable about pins 15 at the lower ends of the uprights 14.Intermediate uprights 16 of each side 8 are pivotable about pins 17 atthe lower ends of the upright 16. Pins 18 inserted in lugs 19 fixed tothe uprights 16 and lugs 20 fixed to the base frame 1 can be provided ifnecessary to maintain the sides 8 erected. However, the sides 8 arepreferably maintained erected by only latching means consisting of fourvertical twist-locks mounted in the four corner posts of the container.

One of these four corner posts and its twist-lock is shown in FIGS. 5 to10. The corner post is a casting made up of the two corner castings 2joined by a U-section part 21 forming the pillar 3.

A twist-lock pin 22 is arranged to slide up and down through the uppercorner casting 2. The pin 22 comprises upper and lower portions 23 and24 of oblong cross-section joined by a portion 25 of circularcross-section of a diameter equal to the width of the oblongcross-section.

The lower end of the upright 14 is of cast construction with a hollowsection to accept the portion 23 (see the chain-line position in FIG. 5)when the longer sides of the container are in the erected position.

To lock the upright 14 in position, the portion 23 is turnable throughin the lifted position of the pin 22 so that the portion 23 engagesbehind wall portions of the upright 14. For this purpose the lower endof the pin 22 has attached to it a radial bar 26 which protrudes throughan L-shaped slot in the part 21 and has mounted on its free end underthe load of a compression spring 27 a cup 28 with vertical finger posts29. The cup assembly is arranged to be fixed in any one of the threepositions P, Q and R defining the L-shaped slot, at which positions theslot is widened to receive the cup. To put the cup 28, and thus the pin22, into the desired position, the cup is pulled out of the slot, movedover the slot and then released in the desired position.

Not only are the upper corner casting 2 and the lower end of the upright14 formed with oblong slots 30 and 31 through which passes the portion23, but the lower corner casting 2 is formed with a similar oblong slot32, whereby, when the containers are stacked one upon another in thecollapsed condition, the portions 23 of any one container may be engagedbehind the slots 32 of the container directly above, so latchingtogether the containers in the stack. The pins 22 thus avoid the use ofknown latching means and can, with the cups 28 in the positions Q, beused as guides during stacking.

After use, the erected container as shown in FIG. 1 may be folded intothe collapsed condition shown in FIG. 2. To do this, the transoms 5 arefolded up against the inside faces of the parts 7, the pins 12 are thenremoved from the lugs 11 and 13 and the whole narrower sides foldedabout the hinges 9 against the inner face of the side 8 carrying thehinges 9. After release of its twistlocks, and removal of its pins 18 ifprovided, this side 8 is then turned inwardly about the pins 15 and 17onto the base frame 1, and the other side 8 then similarly lowered ontothe first side 8. It can be seen from FIG. 2 that the collapsedcontainer comes wholly within the boundaries indicated by the eightcastings 2.

All of the castings 2 and 2' are to British Shipping and InternationalShipping Organisation Standards. The design is such that the lower fourcorner castings 2 of one collapsed container can be placed on top of theupper four corner castings 2 of an identical collapsed container, andthese castings can then be latched together by the twist-locks. Thecollapsed containers can be arranged four high and latched to oneanother to form a standard container to suit B.S. and 1.5.0. standards.Each container is 20 X 8' X 8 when erected and 20 x 8 x 2' whencollapsed.

Not only can the containers be stacked one upon another when in thecollapsed condition, but they can also be so stacked when in the erectedcondition.

The hinges 17 require accurate drilling and positioning. To avoid theneed for this, the modification of FIGS. 11 and 12 can be used, which isa hinge which requires no drilling. These figures show that the lowerend of the upright 16 has a part-cylindrical extremity 40 which slidesin a part-cylindrical housing 41. Incorporated in the housing 41 is abar 42. A nose 44 of the extremity 40 is shown fitting between the bar42 and the housing 41, thus aiding transmission of tensile forcesbetween the base frame 1 and the upright 16. The position of the lowerend of the upright 16 in the collapsed condition is indicated at 16'.

A further replacement for each hinge 17 is shown in FIGS. 13 and 14. Thelower end of the upright 16 has a tongue 50 which, when the upright 16is in its vertical position, projects downwardly and then outwardly intoa hole 51 formed through an insert 52 welded into a cutaway of thetubing 4. Normally, there is clearance 53 between the uppermost surfacebounding the hole 51 and the uppermost surface of the outwardlyprojecting part of the tongue 50. However, when, during lifting of theerected container, an upward force is applied to the upper end of theupright 16, the clearance 53 is taken up and thus a major part of thetensile force in the upright 16 is applied to the insert 52. When theupright 16 is swung downwards during collapsing of the container, thetongue 50 is swung out of the hole 51.

An alternative to the modification of FIGS. 5 to 10 is shown in FIGS. 15to 17. Here, the pin 22 receives a vertical brass tube 60 fixed to thepin 22 by a screw 61. Attached to the tube 60 for raising and loweringthe same is the radial bar 26 which protrudes through the L-shaped slot(not shown). This movement of the tube 60 is guided by a vertical stud62 clamped by a nut 63 at its lower end in a web 64 of the pillar 3, thepillar and its integral corner castings 2 being indicated merelydiagrammatically in FIG. 15. This improved guiding of the upward anddownward movement of the pin 22 reduces any tendency that the pin mayhave to jam. As shown in FIG. 16, the bar 26 is welded to a collar 64fixed to the tube 60 by a screw 65. A helical compression spring 66encircles the bar 26 and urges outwardly along the bar a collar 67 ofwhich the inner end zone is of an external width virtually the same asthe width of the L-shaped slot as widened at the positions P. Q and R.The outer end zone of the collar 67 is of an external width virtuallythe same as the width of the Lshaped slot intermediate the positions P,Q and R. Articulated to the outer end of the bar 26 is a hand lever 68having a camming nose 69 which serves to press the collar 67 inwardlyagainst the action of the spring 66. In FIGS. 16 and 17, the bar 26 isshown in the position P. To allow the bar 26 to be lifted from theposition P, the lever 68 must be swung upwardly from the verticalcondition shown in FIG. 16 into the horizontal condition shown in FIG.17, thereby moving the inner zone of the collar 67 out of the widenedpart of the L- shaped slot at P. The hand lever 68 is of course of asuitable width to allow its inner end to move in the parts of theL-shaped slot intermediate the positions P, Q and R. The lever 68 isheld in the vertical and horizontal conditions shown by the action ofthe spring-loaded collar 67 on two perpendicular faces 70 and 71 of thelever 68. However, if desired, it would be possible to arrange for thelever 68 to bear with its lower end against the pillar 3 or the lowercorner casting 2 when in its swung-down condition by forming a suitabledownwardly-deepening recess 72 in the face 71, as shown in FIG. 16.

To prevent inward leaning of one of the sides 8 during erection of thecontainer, as may occur when the somewhat heavy, narrower sides areswung away from the side 8 on which they are mounted, the top horizontalof one of the sides 8 can have connected thereto so as to be swingablein a horizontal plane one or more horizontal struts (not shown). Duringerection of the container and immediately following latching of thesides 8 in their vertical positions, the or each such strut is swungaway from the top horizontal to which it is connected into a positionperpendicular to that top horizontal, in which position its free end isattached to the top horizontal of the other side 8, whereafter thenarrower sides are swung away from the side 8 on which they are mounted.

We claim:

1. A goods container comprising side portions and base portions, saidbase portions including substantially vertically extending posts, meansfor pivoting said side portions to said posts above the base portions toenable said side'portions to be swung inwardly toward said base portionsto collapse said goods container, the plan outline of said goodscontainer when erected being of substantially the same size as its planoutline of said goods container when erected being of substantially thesame size as its plan outline when collapsed, said pivot means at eachpost comprising a first pivot member carried by the post intermediateits upper end and the base portions, and a second pivot member carriedby said side portions at the position of said post engaging andcooperating with said first pivot member, said second pivot member beinglocated on the lower part of said side portions at the position of saidpost, said lower part of the side portions extending upwardly along thepost from the pivot means and then laterally across the top of the postso as to rest on the top of the post.

2. A goods container according to claim 1, wherein said side portionscomprise projections which, when said side portions are erect, dependdownwardly and then extend laterally, and said base portions comprisebridging portions which, when said side portions are erect, extendimmediately above the laterally extending parts of said projections, thearrangement being such that, when a sufiieient lifting force is applieddirectly to said side portions, said laterally extending parts bear onsaid bridging portions, but, when said side portions are swung inwardlytowards said base portions in collapsing said goods container, saidlaterally extending parts are moved from beneath said bridging portions.

3. A goods container according to claim 1, wherein said side portionsare twolonger sides of said goods container, and said container has twoshorter sides each pivotally connected to one of said two longer sidesso as to be turnable about a vertical axis while said one of said twolonger sides is erect.

4. A goods container according to claim 3, wherein in collapsing saidgoods container, said two shorter sides are turned to positions againstthe inside of said one of said two longer sides, and said one of saidtwo longer sides is then pivotable inwardly towards said base portionsbefore the other of said two longer sides is pivotable inwardly towardssaid base portions.

5. A goods container according to claim 4, wherein said two shortersides comprise respective transoms which, when the shorter sides areerect, depend downwardly and are turnable upwardly about respectivehorizontal axes.

6. A goods container according to claim 1, wherein said goods containeris of a height when erected which is a multiple of its height whencollapsed.

7. A goods container according to claim 1, and including substantiallyvertical twist locks mounted in said posts, parts of said side portionsdefining holes therein with which said twist locks cooperate to locksaid side portions in upright positions which said side portions occupywhen said goods container is erected.

8. A goods container according to claim 7, wherein said twist locks areoperable to cooperate with means on an identical container and lock saidgoods container to said identical container, with said goods containercollapsed and with said identical container placed upon said goodscontainer.

9. A goods container according to claim 7, wherein each twist-lockcomprises a substantially vertical pin displaceable among an operativeposition in which it locks one of said side portions to the relevantpost, an inoperative position, and an intermediate position in which itserves to guide said identical container into position upon said goodscontainer, each post having upper and lower end walls apertured toreceive a twist-lock pin.

10. A goods container according to claim 9, wherein each pin comprisesupper, intermediate and lower portions, said intermediate portion beingof lesser horizontal sectional area than and interconnecting said upperand lower portions.

11. A goods container according to claim 9, wherein each pin has fixedthereto a laterally extending bar, and each post is formed with aninverted L-shaped slot through which said bar extends from inside thepost to outside the post, there being retaining means whereby each barcan be retained in a selected one of three positions in its slot, afirst of said three positions being in the region of the lower end ofthe vertical limb of the slot and corresponding to said inoperativeposition, a second of said three positions being in the region of thejunction between the vertical limb and the horizontal limb of the slotand corresponding to said intermediate position, and the third of saidthree positions corresponding to said operative position and being inthe region of that end of said horizontal limb remote from saidjunction.

12. A goods container according to claim 11, wherein said slot widens atsaid three positions, and said retaining means comprises a spring-loadedengaging piece carried by said 'bar and capable of engaging in said slotat any of said three positions under the action of its spring-loading,but too wide to enter said slot at locations intermediate said threepositions.

13. A goods container according to claim 12, including a camming handlever pivotally connected to said bar outside the relevant post, saidcamming hand lever being turnable to cam the engaging piece out of theslot.

14. A goods container according to claim 9, including a guide tube fixedto said pin, and a co-axial guide rod fixed to the relevant postreceived in and having a sliding fit with the guide tube.

15. A goods container according to claim 1, wherein said posts comprisefour corner posts.

JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

g g UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Segtember 22,1970 Patent No. 3 529, 741 Dated n Rov Dixon Walker and John Tabron Itis certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and thatsaid Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 4, lines 45 to 47 (Claim 1, lines 8 to 10) after "outline",cancel "of said goods container when erected being of substantially thesame size as its plan outline Signed and sealed this 26th day ofSeptember 1972.

, (SEAL) Attest:

ROBERT GOTTSCHALK I EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR.

Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents

